What is Visual Merchandising? 14/10/2013
What is Visual Merchandising?
14/10/2013
Visual Merchandising Supports Sales The display department was charged with “make it pretty”, now its “make it sell” Effective visual merchandising techniques establish and maintain the store’s physical & mental image in the customer’s mind Visual Merchandising Supports Retail Strategies Mission statements – how stores will serve their target markets; vision and goal statements that describe their ambitions Promotional mix – Combination of communication tools – advertising, instore marketing, special events, and personal selling Advertising tells customers that a store’s merchandise is different, better, less expensive, more fashionable than products offered by other retailers Visual merchandising: Designing and executing window and interior displays to support advertising goals Installing promotional signing for instore selling Producing workable departmental layouts and interior décor Devising merchandise fixture layouts for daytoday operations Placing and presenting merchandise on walls and fixtures Working as team members with the store’s promotional staff Visual Merchandising Communicates with Customers 3 basic elements of communication: sender, receiver, message Retailer is message sender – store, interior design, selling floor layout, etc. are part of message to target person; if person comes into store, communication goal is successful Brand image: Retailer’s identity in shoppers’ minds; encompasses multiple aspects of business
Driven by retailer’s mission statement, which summarizes what the company is about, whom it hopes to serve, and how it hopes to do it Portrayed by highend retailers’ interest in developing ongoing relationships between sales associates clients Should be communicated by store environment through fixtures, signs, displays Communicated through location Make brands unique through design differentiation; provide an experience, not just product
Stages in Consumer Information Processing Exposure Expose merchandise to potential customers Attention Merchandise is presented in a way that shows hot it could be used when purchases Comprehension If message is clearly stated – signing, location, accessorizing, etc. Agreement If product information is compatible with values Retention / Retrieval Information is filed away for later Consumer Decision Making Mental imagery of visual merchandising is strong enough; promotional elements supports process Action Taken Visual Merchandising Supports Selling Effective visual merchandising can support sales staff Cotton Incorporated: Communicate latest trends in fashion and colours Assist customer in making a buying decision Create an exciting environment within the store
Increases average dollar amount per sale Effective displays teach shoppers about using multiple basic and accessory items to enhance and extend use of purchases Educates customers about when and how to wear fashion and trend items Solve many buying problems for prospective customers who are looking for advice
Visual Merchandising Supports Retailing Trends Store interiors have changed; windows are an opportunity to view entire shopping assortment Consumers want to interact with merchandise; signage directs traffic, graphics convey lifestyles and set moods Forecast and set lifestyle trends Lifestyle centres Smaller stores Nonstore selling – Shopping from home
Creative Thinking
14/10/2013
“Creative persons differ from one another in a variety of ways, but in one respect they are unanimous: They all love what they do.” The Creative Process in Visual Merchandising Open mind to idea generation to brainstorming processes Creation isn’t about making something out of nothing; organizing existing elements into new and different wholes “Editing” Tim O’Brien’s View of Creative Problem Solving List and counter list When you have a problem to resolve, list the first five things that come to mind for solving the situation; do opposite of what you wrote down Use both sides of brain Analytical and emotional terms Convene a panel of experts Real or imaginary Be a consultant Assemble facts, ask question, identify the causes, determine desired outcome and solution, list techniques Ask children Bell’s Approach: Look, Compare, Innovate Look at what your competition is doing; watch how customers react to display in stores – what stops them, and which displays are ignored? Compare what you are doing vs. what your competitors are doing Innovate competitor’s ideas into your own by combining techniques from other stores with your own The Scamper Model Substitute – Exchanging one expected element of a visual idea for another Combine Crossmerchandise (Moving merchandise across traditional department to combine elements in a single department or display)
Creative Thinking
14/10/2013
Adapt Taking an item intended for one use and adapt its purpose to suit your sales display Modify, Minify, Magnify – Magnifying or minimizing elements to provide an imaginative aspect to traditional displays Put to Other Uses – Using props in unexpected ways – entertaining, thought provoking, attention getting Eliminating – “Quit while you’re ahead”; keep displays relatively simply Reverse/Rearrange
Best Practices and Practical Applications Visiting competing stores Trendspotting Trends – Direction in which things like demographics, finance, and fashion are moving; includes merchandising, politics, lifestyles, etc. Reading trade websites and periodicals Exploring local community resources Following sources about current events Researching resources about history Guidelines for Implementing Ideas on the Job Formal guidelines are established to create a consistent image of the store throughout the chain Inconsistent messages do not inspire confidence on the part of the shopper; tend to disappear Building and Sustaining a Creative Work Environment Albrecht’s Five Characteristics for Innovating and Creative Thinking: Mental flexibility – Being free of preconceived interpretations and fixed opinions Option thinking – Willingness to give problems further thought and having reluctance to jump on the first idea that seems to be a solution Bigpicture thinking – Taking the “helicopter view” and rising above the landscape of everyday ideas to see all the factors involved at once Skill in explaining and selling ideas – Being able to develop a concept and connect the facts and ideas involved so that others can understand and accept them Intellectual courage – Willingness to advocate an idea or course of action that you believe in, but which is unpopular with your peers “I’d like to get your help on an idea I’m trying to work out”, “Before we make a decision, let’s review all our options
Core Design Strategies The Visual Merchandiser is a Design Strategist
14/10/2013
Core Design Strategies
14/10/2013
Must be a strategic thinker – assesses a task in relation to available resources and the goal that’s been set Design strategy – Plan of action to achieve retail goals and create a welcoming place where shoppers will purchase goods and services Visual merchandiser adds atmospherics to give retailer personality and add brand image
Atmospherics as a Merchandising Strategy Multiple sensory elements for décor and layout that appeal to a shopper’s five senses; layered into store to enhance shopping environment and build brand image Sight, sound, touch, taste, smell can alter shoppers’ perception of time; encourages comfortability and pleasant stimulation
Design Elements Colour Primary colours – red, yellow, blue; starting points on colour wheel Secondary colours – formed from combinations of primary colours Tertiary colours – formed by mixing primary and secondary colours Shades and tints – Darkening or lightening colour with black, grey/white Value – Apparent lightness or darkness in a colour Hue – Colour family; reds, blues, browns, etc., also synonym for colour Intensity – Brightness, purity, degree of saturation of colour Colour Schemes Monochromatic Schemes – Single colour in different values and intensities Analogous Schemes – Two or more colours that are next to each other on colour wheel
Core Design Strategies
14/10/2013
Complementary Schemes – Two colours that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel SplitComplementary Schemes – Three colours – one central colour plus two colours on either side of its colour wheel complement DoubleComplementary Schemes – Four colours – two colours plus complementary Triadic Schemes – Three colours that are equidistant from one another on the colour wheel Warm colours are aggressive Cool colours are recessive, relaxed, calm Colour Communication Colour is cultural Powerful visual element; sets mood, emphasizes features, highlight a product Become associated with various occasions (ie. Red and green for Christmas, etc.) Colour in Store Décor Store design should use overall neutral palette that use colour in merchandise for accent Retailers should be careful not to become dated as a result of poor interior design choices Colour as a Fashion Merchandising Strategy Popular colour schemes should be featured in highly visible areas of the stores – entrances, aisles, windows, displays, etc. If merchandise displays with colourful impact are used throughout the store, the more likely the customer will be drawn from one area to next – the more merchandise they are able to see, the more they are likely to make purchases; critical merchandising goal Functional groupings – Merchandise is segmented according to end use Branded grouping – Merchandise from single designer or manufacturer displayed together in an area set off on selling floor Colour Story – Colourcoordinated product grouping that shows how to use season’s trend colours Colour Coordination Divide colours of product into groups according to intensity
Core Design Strategies
14/10/2013
Brights Pastels Midtones Jeweltones Muted/dusty Eathones Neutrals Combine colours within each group to create colour schemes Unless neutral, do not combine colours from different groups Texture How a surface actually feels to the touch or how it might feel if touched; compared or contrasted in display of merchandise Can be seen and touched; determines overall mood and influences appearance of merchandise Usage should be only when it makes sense when paired with merchandise Proportion Relationship between apparent size, mass, scale, optical weight of 2+ objects Optical weight is how important, large, heavy an object appears to be versus how much it really weighs or how large it is in scale Direction and Line Direction refers to tool that leads shopper’s eye from one place to another Line guides eye to feature that sets mood – long horizontal lines suggest calm and stability Lines lend rhythmic feeling to display where you want to suggest activity and movement Shape
Core Design Strategies
14/10/2013
Standard or universally recognized spatial form like a circle or triangle that helps the viewer identify various objects Use variety of techniques in presenting shapes; should overlap each other in an interesting presentation Size All about proportion, ratio, mass, scale Change in proportions of items in display; establish presentation’s emphasis Sequence Particular order in which items are presented for viewing; might rely on graduation based on size to emphasize a particular item is available in a variety of sizes Tension Arrangement of elements that causes the viewer to wonder if opposing forces will disturb balance or equilibrium in a display Design Principles Unity and Harmony Harmony – “artful” element; careful selection of complementary interwoven elements creates a unified whole in keeping with a store’s overall brand image Keep brand image in mind Unity – When all of the lements of a presentation combine to make a balanced, compelte whole Balance Equality of optical weight and relative importance that creates a unified presentation Formal balance – When two items of ewual size or optical qeight are equidistant from a center point (symmetry) Informal balance – When objects are positioned in an asymmetrical arrangement where a single larger object is counterbalanced by 2+ smaller objects on the other side of the centre point Less restrained visual strategu; more freedom to express movement and activity Repetition – Achieved when recurring design elements like size, colour, shape in a presentation create a special sense of visual rhythm Rhythm – Achieved by repetition of design elements that can create a unique sense of visual cadence/emphasis for the viewer Emphasis and Contrast Emphasis – Special focus placed on item to highlight it in presentation; using contrast, lighting, colour, placement, repetition, etc. Contrast – Points up extreme difference between objects or items Surprise
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion Creating Retail Atmosphere
14/10/2013
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion
14/10/2013
Strategic design involves exterior and interior aspects; effective when atmospherics are conducive to merchandising philosophies creates productive shopping experience Effective store design places merchandise and customer service at the heart of the effort; differentiates itself from competititors
Types of Retail Stores Department stores Specialty stores Boutiques Discount stores Dollar stores Hypermarkets Outlet stores Warehouse stores Thrift stores Popup
Store Layouts Grid layout – Linear design for selling floor; fixtures are arranged to form vertical and horizontal aisles throughout the store Sight line – The area a person can see from a particular vantage point Freeflow layout – Selling fixtures arranged in loosely grouped, informal, nonlinear formations to encourage browsing Minimal floor layout – Almost gallerylike in its simplicity, shows small selections of handcrafted or exclusive merchandise
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion
14/10/2013
Racetrack layout – Exposes shoppers to lots of merchandise as they follow a perimeter traffic aisle Soft aisle layout – Fixtures are arranged in groups, creating natural aisles without any change in the floor covering to designate a separate aisle space Combination floor layout – Employs best features of several selling floor layouts in an overall plan that suits a retailer’s specific strategy
Guidelines for Universal Access “Equitable use” = Design should be useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities Design building elements and furnishings of an appropriate size and space for approach, reach, manipulation, etc. Providing a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated/standing user Making reach to all components comfortable for any seated/standing user Accommodating variations in hand and grip size Providing adequate space for the use of assistive devices or personal assistance Presenting Current Season/Preseason/Test Merchandise Selling areas must be laid out in a logical progression Adjacencies Introducing items in small quantities to the department in order to determine how shoppers will respond to them before they commit to larger orders Fashion cycle is important consideration when planning an item’s position on the selling floor Individual Department Layouts Each department can be divided into trend, test, shops, basics, key items Trend areas – Merchandise that has been accepted by shoppers as “hot” or current fashion; purchased in depth Test area – Floor space set aside to sample merchandise representing items or styles retail buyers believe will soon become popular; bring small quantities of goods and watch sales closely Feature fixtures
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion
14/10/2013
Shop – When similar types of merchandise are bought in depth and are pulled together into one area of department Basics – Make up the bulk of stock in any department that represent its core merchandise Key item – Proven seller purchases in depth and offered at a competitive price; presented on fixtures that can hold larger quantities of product Store creates own specifications and has the items modified to better fit the needs of its customer Store creates own brand name and has an opportunity to develop it to fit image of target customers Store is able to offer items to customers at lower price Merchandise Placement Guidelines Separate fashions by “end use” within each department Separate fashions by fabrication; each classification of merchandise should be separated by fabrication Separate fashions by style Separate fashions by colour group Clearance Merchandise Pulled together at rear of each department/store Should only be displayed on floor fixtures – broken assortment does not make pretty wall Never featured on mannequins or displays Presented on large fixtures Sized Price points
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion
14/10/2013
Store Fixtures Capacity Fixtures – Large quantities of merchandise; shows single style in several colours and in complete range of sizes Feature Fixtures – Highlight category groupings or smaller coordinate groups Capacity Fixture – Large quantity of merchandise, usually showing a single style in several colours and in complete range of sizes Round Racks – Capacity fixture for stocking basic apparel items Should not be positioned at store entrance Sleeve/hem lengths should be same on entire fixture Superquad – Fourarmed capacity fixture with adjustable height feature for showing items purchased in depth or coordinate groupings of pants, skirts, blouses, and sweaters or jackets Gondola – Versatile, foursided capacity fixture that may be shelved for folding or stackable products, and is occasionally set with garment rods to show apparel on hangers Endcaps – Valuable display and stocking spaces at the ends of gondola fixtures; feature sampling of merchandise, new merchandise, valuepriced products, for advertised specials Bins and cubes Floor feature fixtures: Twoway Tstand, two armed hanging fixture Fourway – Costumer; fatures hanging coordinate group Wall capacity features Round garment rods Flat metal crossbars Slatwall – System of horizontal backer panels with evenly spaced slots that accept brackets Gridwall – Wall system of metal wire Shelving Conventional wall feature fixtures Waterfall Straight arms Furniture Fixtures and Antiques Tables
Fashion Apparel Wall Setups
14/10/2013
Walls as Retail Selling Tools Walls are largest selling tools and most important fixtures in any selling strategy Wayfinding: Any tools that help customers to find their way through a store Graphic elements must be large enough and placed high enough on walls to be visible from store entrances and aisles Walls become destinations when merchandise is presented effectively Shoppers will be exposed to and inspect more merchandise Once out of main traffic patterns, shoppers
Signing
14/10/2013
Effective sign attracts attention and conveys brand indetity First impression of what consumers will find in the store Most successful signs have identiy If taken out of store, name of store would be evidents Operational signs – Store hours, return policies, emergency exits, etc. Enhance both sotre environment and brand image Communicating Through Signing Media Dimensional letters Staticcling decals Fabric scrims Floor graphics Light source signage Communicating Tone
Lighting
14/10/2013
14/10/2013
14/10/2013
14/10/2013
Visual Merchandising Supports Sales The display department was charged with “make it pretty”, now its “make it sell” Effective visual merchandising techniques establish and maintain the store’s physical & mental image in the customer’s mind Visual Merchandising Supports Retail Strategies Mission statements – how stores will serve their target markets; vision and goal statements that describe their ambitions Promotional mix – Combination of communication tools – advertising, instore marketing, special events, and personal selling Advertising tells customers that a store’s merchandise is different, better, less expensive, more fashionable than products offered by other retailers Visual merchandising: Designing and executing window and interior displays to support advertising goals Installing promotional signing for instore selling Producing workable departmental layouts and interior décor Devising merchandise fixture layouts for daytoday operations Placing and presenting merchandise on walls and fixtures Working as team members with the store’s promotional staff Visual Merchandising Communicates with Customers 3 basic elements of communication: sender, receiver, message Retailer is message sender – store, interior design, selling floor layout, etc. are part of message to target person; if person comes into store, communication goal is successful Brand image: Retailer’s identity in shoppers’ minds; encompasses multiple aspects of business
Driven by retailer’s mission statement, which summarizes what the company is about, whom it hopes to serve, and how it hopes to do it Portrayed by highend retailers’ interest in developing ongoing relationships between sales associates clients Should be communicated by store environment through fixtures, signs, displays Communicated through location Make brands unique through design differentiation; provide an experience, not just product
Stages in Consumer Information Processing Exposure Expose merchandise to potential customers Attention Merchandise is presented in a way that shows hot it could be used when purchases Comprehension If message is clearly stated – signing, location, accessorizing, etc. Agreement If product information is compatible with values Retention / Retrieval Information is filed away for later Consumer Decision Making Mental imagery of visual merchandising is strong enough; promotional elements supports process Action Taken Visual Merchandising Supports Selling Effective visual merchandising can support sales staff Cotton Incorporated: Communicate latest trends in fashion and colours Assist customer in making a buying decision Create an exciting environment within the store
Increases average dollar amount per sale Effective displays teach shoppers about using multiple basic and accessory items to enhance and extend use of purchases Educates customers about when and how to wear fashion and trend items Solve many buying problems for prospective customers who are looking for advice
Visual Merchandising Supports Retailing Trends Store interiors have changed; windows are an opportunity to view entire shopping assortment Consumers want to interact with merchandise; signage directs traffic, graphics convey lifestyles and set moods Forecast and set lifestyle trends Lifestyle centres Smaller stores Nonstore selling – Shopping from home
Creative Thinking
14/10/2013
“Creative persons differ from one another in a variety of ways, but in one respect they are unanimous: They all love what they do.” The Creative Process in Visual Merchandising Open mind to idea generation to brainstorming processes Creation isn’t about making something out of nothing; organizing existing elements into new and different wholes “Editing” Tim O’Brien’s View of Creative Problem Solving List and counter list When you have a problem to resolve, list the first five things that come to mind for solving the situation; do opposite of what you wrote down Use both sides of brain Analytical and emotional terms Convene a panel of experts Real or imaginary Be a consultant Assemble facts, ask question, identify the causes, determine desired outcome and solution, list techniques Ask children Bell’s Approach: Look, Compare, Innovate Look at what your competition is doing; watch how customers react to display in stores – what stops them, and which displays are ignored? Compare what you are doing vs. what your competitors are doing Innovate competitor’s ideas into your own by combining techniques from other stores with your own The Scamper Model Substitute – Exchanging one expected element of a visual idea for another Combine Crossmerchandise (Moving merchandise across traditional department to combine elements in a single department or display)
Creative Thinking
14/10/2013
Adapt Taking an item intended for one use and adapt its purpose to suit your sales display Modify, Minify, Magnify – Magnifying or minimizing elements to provide an imaginative aspect to traditional displays Put to Other Uses – Using props in unexpected ways – entertaining, thought provoking, attention getting Eliminating – “Quit while you’re ahead”; keep displays relatively simply Reverse/Rearrange
Best Practices and Practical Applications Visiting competing stores Trendspotting Trends – Direction in which things like demographics, finance, and fashion are moving; includes merchandising, politics, lifestyles, etc. Reading trade websites and periodicals Exploring local community resources Following sources about current events Researching resources about history Guidelines for Implementing Ideas on the Job Formal guidelines are established to create a consistent image of the store throughout the chain Inconsistent messages do not inspire confidence on the part of the shopper; tend to disappear Building and Sustaining a Creative Work Environment Albrecht’s Five Characteristics for Innovating and Creative Thinking: Mental flexibility – Being free of preconceived interpretations and fixed opinions Option thinking – Willingness to give problems further thought and having reluctance to jump on the first idea that seems to be a solution Bigpicture thinking – Taking the “helicopter view” and rising above the landscape of everyday ideas to see all the factors involved at once Skill in explaining and selling ideas – Being able to develop a concept and connect the facts and ideas involved so that others can understand and accept them Intellectual courage – Willingness to advocate an idea or course of action that you believe in, but which is unpopular with your peers “I’d like to get your help on an idea I’m trying to work out”, “Before we make a decision, let’s review all our options
Core Design Strategies The Visual Merchandiser is a Design Strategist
14/10/2013
Core Design Strategies
14/10/2013
Must be a strategic thinker – assesses a task in relation to available resources and the goal that’s been set Design strategy – Plan of action to achieve retail goals and create a welcoming place where shoppers will purchase goods and services Visual merchandiser adds atmospherics to give retailer personality and add brand image
Atmospherics as a Merchandising Strategy Multiple sensory elements for décor and layout that appeal to a shopper’s five senses; layered into store to enhance shopping environment and build brand image Sight, sound, touch, taste, smell can alter shoppers’ perception of time; encourages comfortability and pleasant stimulation
Design Elements Colour Primary colours – red, yellow, blue; starting points on colour wheel Secondary colours – formed from combinations of primary colours Tertiary colours – formed by mixing primary and secondary colours Shades and tints – Darkening or lightening colour with black, grey/white Value – Apparent lightness or darkness in a colour Hue – Colour family; reds, blues, browns, etc., also synonym for colour Intensity – Brightness, purity, degree of saturation of colour Colour Schemes Monochromatic Schemes – Single colour in different values and intensities Analogous Schemes – Two or more colours that are next to each other on colour wheel
Core Design Strategies
14/10/2013
Complementary Schemes – Two colours that are directly opposite each other on the colour wheel SplitComplementary Schemes – Three colours – one central colour plus two colours on either side of its colour wheel complement DoubleComplementary Schemes – Four colours – two colours plus complementary Triadic Schemes – Three colours that are equidistant from one another on the colour wheel Warm colours are aggressive Cool colours are recessive, relaxed, calm Colour Communication Colour is cultural Powerful visual element; sets mood, emphasizes features, highlight a product Become associated with various occasions (ie. Red and green for Christmas, etc.) Colour in Store Décor Store design should use overall neutral palette that use colour in merchandise for accent Retailers should be careful not to become dated as a result of poor interior design choices Colour as a Fashion Merchandising Strategy Popular colour schemes should be featured in highly visible areas of the stores – entrances, aisles, windows, displays, etc. If merchandise displays with colourful impact are used throughout the store, the more likely the customer will be drawn from one area to next – the more merchandise they are able to see, the more they are likely to make purchases; critical merchandising goal Functional groupings – Merchandise is segmented according to end use Branded grouping – Merchandise from single designer or manufacturer displayed together in an area set off on selling floor Colour Story – Colourcoordinated product grouping that shows how to use season’s trend colours Colour Coordination Divide colours of product into groups according to intensity
Core Design Strategies
14/10/2013
Brights Pastels Midtones Jeweltones Muted/dusty Eathones Neutrals Combine colours within each group to create colour schemes Unless neutral, do not combine colours from different groups Texture How a surface actually feels to the touch or how it might feel if touched; compared or contrasted in display of merchandise Can be seen and touched; determines overall mood and influences appearance of merchandise Usage should be only when it makes sense when paired with merchandise Proportion Relationship between apparent size, mass, scale, optical weight of 2+ objects Optical weight is how important, large, heavy an object appears to be versus how much it really weighs or how large it is in scale Direction and Line Direction refers to tool that leads shopper’s eye from one place to another Line guides eye to feature that sets mood – long horizontal lines suggest calm and stability Lines lend rhythmic feeling to display where you want to suggest activity and movement Shape
Core Design Strategies
14/10/2013
Standard or universally recognized spatial form like a circle or triangle that helps the viewer identify various objects Use variety of techniques in presenting shapes; should overlap each other in an interesting presentation Size All about proportion, ratio, mass, scale Change in proportions of items in display; establish presentation’s emphasis Sequence Particular order in which items are presented for viewing; might rely on graduation based on size to emphasize a particular item is available in a variety of sizes Tension Arrangement of elements that causes the viewer to wonder if opposing forces will disturb balance or equilibrium in a display Design Principles Unity and Harmony Harmony – “artful” element; careful selection of complementary interwoven elements creates a unified whole in keeping with a store’s overall brand image Keep brand image in mind Unity – When all of the lements of a presentation combine to make a balanced, compelte whole Balance Equality of optical weight and relative importance that creates a unified presentation Formal balance – When two items of ewual size or optical qeight are equidistant from a center point (symmetry) Informal balance – When objects are positioned in an asymmetrical arrangement where a single larger object is counterbalanced by 2+ smaller objects on the other side of the centre point Less restrained visual strategu; more freedom to express movement and activity Repetition – Achieved when recurring design elements like size, colour, shape in a presentation create a special sense of visual rhythm Rhythm – Achieved by repetition of design elements that can create a unique sense of visual cadence/emphasis for the viewer Emphasis and Contrast Emphasis – Special focus placed on item to highlight it in presentation; using contrast, lighting, colour, placement, repetition, etc. Contrast – Points up extreme difference between objects or items Surprise
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion Creating Retail Atmosphere
14/10/2013
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion
14/10/2013
Strategic design involves exterior and interior aspects; effective when atmospherics are conducive to merchandising philosophies creates productive shopping experience Effective store design places merchandise and customer service at the heart of the effort; differentiates itself from competititors
Types of Retail Stores Department stores Specialty stores Boutiques Discount stores Dollar stores Hypermarkets Outlet stores Warehouse stores Thrift stores Popup
Store Layouts Grid layout – Linear design for selling floor; fixtures are arranged to form vertical and horizontal aisles throughout the store Sight line – The area a person can see from a particular vantage point Freeflow layout – Selling fixtures arranged in loosely grouped, informal, nonlinear formations to encourage browsing Minimal floor layout – Almost gallerylike in its simplicity, shows small selections of handcrafted or exclusive merchandise
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion
14/10/2013
Racetrack layout – Exposes shoppers to lots of merchandise as they follow a perimeter traffic aisle Soft aisle layout – Fixtures are arranged in groups, creating natural aisles without any change in the floor covering to designate a separate aisle space Combination floor layout – Employs best features of several selling floor layouts in an overall plan that suits a retailer’s specific strategy
Guidelines for Universal Access “Equitable use” = Design should be useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities Design building elements and furnishings of an appropriate size and space for approach, reach, manipulation, etc. Providing a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated/standing user Making reach to all components comfortable for any seated/standing user Accommodating variations in hand and grip size Providing adequate space for the use of assistive devices or personal assistance Presenting Current Season/Preseason/Test Merchandise Selling areas must be laid out in a logical progression Adjacencies Introducing items in small quantities to the department in order to determine how shoppers will respond to them before they commit to larger orders Fashion cycle is important consideration when planning an item’s position on the selling floor Individual Department Layouts Each department can be divided into trend, test, shops, basics, key items Trend areas – Merchandise that has been accepted by shoppers as “hot” or current fashion; purchased in depth Test area – Floor space set aside to sample merchandise representing items or styles retail buyers believe will soon become popular; bring small quantities of goods and watch sales closely Feature fixtures
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion
14/10/2013
Shop – When similar types of merchandise are bought in depth and are pulled together into one area of department Basics – Make up the bulk of stock in any department that represent its core merchandise Key item – Proven seller purchases in depth and offered at a competitive price; presented on fixtures that can hold larger quantities of product Store creates own specifications and has the items modified to better fit the needs of its customer Store creates own brand name and has an opportunity to develop it to fit image of target customers Store is able to offer items to customers at lower price Merchandise Placement Guidelines Separate fashions by “end use” within each department Separate fashions by fabrication; each classification of merchandise should be separated by fabrication Separate fashions by style Separate fashions by colour group Clearance Merchandise Pulled together at rear of each department/store Should only be displayed on floor fixtures – broken assortment does not make pretty wall Never featured on mannequins or displays Presented on large fixtures Sized Price points
Layout and Fixtures for Fashion
14/10/2013
Store Fixtures Capacity Fixtures – Large quantities of merchandise; shows single style in several colours and in complete range of sizes Feature Fixtures – Highlight category groupings or smaller coordinate groups Capacity Fixture – Large quantity of merchandise, usually showing a single style in several colours and in complete range of sizes Round Racks – Capacity fixture for stocking basic apparel items Should not be positioned at store entrance Sleeve/hem lengths should be same on entire fixture Superquad – Fourarmed capacity fixture with adjustable height feature for showing items purchased in depth or coordinate groupings of pants, skirts, blouses, and sweaters or jackets Gondola – Versatile, foursided capacity fixture that may be shelved for folding or stackable products, and is occasionally set with garment rods to show apparel on hangers Endcaps – Valuable display and stocking spaces at the ends of gondola fixtures; feature sampling of merchandise, new merchandise, valuepriced products, for advertised specials Bins and cubes Floor feature fixtures: Twoway Tstand, two armed hanging fixture Fourway – Costumer; fatures hanging coordinate group Wall capacity features Round garment rods Flat metal crossbars Slatwall – System of horizontal backer panels with evenly spaced slots that accept brackets Gridwall – Wall system of metal wire Shelving Conventional wall feature fixtures Waterfall Straight arms Furniture Fixtures and Antiques Tables
Fashion Apparel Wall Setups
14/10/2013
Walls as Retail Selling Tools Walls are largest selling tools and most important fixtures in any selling strategy Wayfinding: Any tools that help customers to find their way through a store Graphic elements must be large enough and placed high enough on walls to be visible from store entrances and aisles Walls become destinations when merchandise is presented effectively Shoppers will be exposed to and inspect more merchandise Once out of main traffic patterns, shoppers
Signing
14/10/2013
Effective sign attracts attention and conveys brand indetity First impression of what consumers will find in the store Most successful signs have identiy If taken out of store, name of store would be evidents Operational signs – Store hours, return policies, emergency exits, etc. Enhance both sotre environment and brand image Communicating Through Signing Media Dimensional letters Staticcling decals Fabric scrims Floor graphics Light source signage Communicating Tone
Lighting
14/10/2013
14/10/2013
14/10/2013
